Family Budgeting http://www.familybudgetinsider.com/blog Finance and Budgeting News You Can Use Wed, 30 Dec 2009 19:54:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 en hourly 1 Britain’s financial fortunes in 2020 http://www.familybudgetinsider.com/blog/2009/12/britains-financial-fortunes-in-2020/ http://www.familybudgetinsider.com/blog/2009/12/britains-financial-fortunes-in-2020/#comments Wed, 30 Dec 2009 19:54:59 +0000 Chris Frostt http://www.familybudgetinsider.com/blog/2009/12/britains-financial-fortunes-in-2020/ Readers of this blog may know of my repeated bleating since 2002 that Britain would face a bleak economic era from 2008 onwards. So far, so good, if you see what I mean. So what can we expect for the…

]]> http://www.familybudgetinsider.com/blog/2009/12/britains-financial-fortunes-in-2020/feed/ 0 High-speed rail service: Fiddling while Rome burns http://www.familybudgetinsider.com/blog/2009/12/high-speed-rail-service-fiddling-while-rome-burns/ http://www.familybudgetinsider.com/blog/2009/12/high-speed-rail-service-fiddling-while-rome-burns/#comments Wed, 30 Dec 2009 12:31:26 +0000 Chris Frostt http://www.familybudgetinsider.com/blog/2009/12/high-speed-rail-service-fiddling-while-rome-burns/ The latest twist in the sorry tale of Britain’s rail services features that too-familiar creature, the white elephant. Plans have been submitted for a high-speed rail line that will be able to carry 250mph trains running between London and the…

]]> http://www.familybudgetinsider.com/blog/2009/12/high-speed-rail-service-fiddling-while-rome-burns/feed/ 0 This is Money readers say: ‘put your cash in China’ http://www.familybudgetinsider.com/blog/2009/12/this-is-money-readers-say-put-your-cash-in-china/ http://www.familybudgetinsider.com/blog/2009/12/this-is-money-readers-say-put-your-cash-in-china/#comments Sun, 27 Dec 2009 07:10:48 +0000 Chris Frostt http://www.familybudgetinsider.com/blog/2009/12/this-is-money-readers-say-put-your-cash-in-china/ Last week we launched two polls to find out where our readers think the best investment returns will come from in 2010. Choices ranged from backing a continued surge in gold values to predicting a brand new housing price boom….

]]> http://www.familybudgetinsider.com/blog/2009/12/this-is-money-readers-say-put-your-cash-in-china/feed/ 0 Yorkshire BS boss answers your questions http://www.familybudgetinsider.com/blog/2009/12/yorkshire-bs-boss-answers-your-questions/ http://www.familybudgetinsider.com/blog/2009/12/yorkshire-bs-boss-answers-your-questions/#comments Sun, 27 Dec 2009 07:10:45 +0000 Chris Frostt http://www.familybudgetinsider.com/blog/2009/12/yorkshire-bs-boss-answers-your-questions/ The bosses at Yorkshire Building Society noticed the high number of questions – and concerns – raised by readers about the merger with Chelsea. (See the reader comments on our Q&A). So, they offered to get their chief executive to…

]]> http://www.familybudgetinsider.com/blog/2009/12/yorkshire-bs-boss-answers-your-questions/feed/ 0 They can’t grit, but they can speed bump http://www.familybudgetinsider.com/blog/2009/12/they-cant-grit-but-they-can-speed-bump/ http://www.familybudgetinsider.com/blog/2009/12/they-cant-grit-but-they-can-speed-bump/#comments Sun, 27 Dec 2009 07:10:43 +0000 Chris Frostt http://www.familybudgetinsider.com/blog/2009/12/they-cant-grit-but-they-can-speed-bump/ Bravo Islington Council: it can’t grit and clear the roads and pavement but it can install a speed bump. Islington Council has decided, after holding and then ignoring a consultation in which a majority of 68% voted against installing speed…

]]> http://www.familybudgetinsider.com/blog/2009/12/they-cant-grit-but-they-can-speed-bump/feed/ 0 Most popular (commented) stories of the year http://www.familybudgetinsider.com/blog/2009/12/most-popular-commented-stories-of-the-year/ http://www.familybudgetinsider.com/blog/2009/12/most-popular-commented-stories-of-the-year/#comments Sun, 27 Dec 2009 07:10:41 +0000 Chris Frostt http://www.familybudgetinsider.com/blog/2009/12/most-popular-commented-stories-of-the-year/ House prices, house prices, house prices, shenanigans at Nationwide, Northern Rock, Halifax, house prices, British Airways and the increasing age of retirement. These are among the most popular stories on This is Money this year in terms of the numbers…

]]> http://www.familybudgetinsider.com/blog/2009/12/most-popular-commented-stories-of-the-year/feed/ 0 Top stories of the year – 2009 http://www.familybudgetinsider.com/blog/2009/12/top-stories-of-the-year-2009/ http://www.familybudgetinsider.com/blog/2009/12/top-stories-of-the-year-2009/#comments Sun, 27 Dec 2009 07:10:38 +0000 Chris Frostt http://www.familybudgetinsider.com/blog/2009/12/top-stories-of-the-year-2009/ At the beginning of the year, we faced the stark possibility of a re-run of the Great Depression. The UK economy was shrinking faster than it had done even during the 1930s. Shares were falling fast, demand for property was…

]]> http://www.familybudgetinsider.com/blog/2009/12/top-stories-of-the-year-2009/feed/ 0 Reasons why stock markets may fall in 2010 http://www.familybudgetinsider.com/blog/2009/12/reasons-why-stock-markets-may-fall-in-2010/ http://www.familybudgetinsider.com/blog/2009/12/reasons-why-stock-markets-may-fall-in-2010/#comments Sun, 27 Dec 2009 07:10:36 +0000 Chris Frostt http://www.familybudgetinsider.com/blog/2009/12/reasons-why-stock-markets-may-fall-in-2010/ Billionaire Warren Buffett (pictured), the most successful investor of his generation, says be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful. Bearing that in mind, investors should eagerly follow a weekly study by www.investorsintelligence.com. Running since 1963,…

]]> http://www.familybudgetinsider.com/blog/2009/12/reasons-why-stock-markets-may-fall-in-2010/feed/ 0 Chart of the day: the trouble with final salary pensions http://www.familybudgetinsider.com/blog/2009/12/chart-of-the-day-the-trouble-with-final-salary-pensions/ http://www.familybudgetinsider.com/blog/2009/12/chart-of-the-day-the-trouble-with-final-salary-pensions/#comments Sun, 27 Dec 2009 07:10:33 +0000 Chris Frostt http://www.familybudgetinsider.com/blog/2009/12/chart-of-the-day-the-trouble-with-final-salary-pensions/ The recession – and the way it’s tackled – holds implications for many areas of our personal finances. One shock so far has been the speed of destruction of final salary pensions. These schemes largely work thus: companies and members…

]]> http://www.familybudgetinsider.com/blog/2009/12/chart-of-the-day-the-trouble-with-final-salary-pensions/feed/ 0 Spending watch: No early Christmas sales? http://www.familybudgetinsider.com/blog/2009/12/spending-watch-no-early-christmas-sales/ http://www.familybudgetinsider.com/blog/2009/12/spending-watch-no-early-christmas-sales/#comments Sun, 27 Dec 2009 07:10:32 +0000 Chris Frostt http://www.familybudgetinsider.com/blog/2009/12/spending-watch-no-early-christmas-sales/ The great British consumer looks determined to exit the decade with a bang. Sales figures last week demonstrated shoppers’ belligerent refusal to accept the end of the age of spending more than we earn on stuff we don’t need. There’s…

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